Dr Keene and Susan were working inside trying to get the electrics/communications working.)

It occurs to Dr Keene that it might be an external array that had been damaged and that is why the communications aren't working as well as they should.

From the outside the jumpship looks a little battered but nothings missing...just scrapes and a couple of minor dents on the underside of the hull. The top and front of the hull appears rather dirty, quite a lot of the paintwork has seen better days.

Together the communications is tested and, indeed, it appears as though, although the elctronics is working the mechanical element is stuck.

Quite the reverse for the engines..

"Where exactly are we?" says Caio. "This stuff doesn't look much different to what we left.. anychance you can get that GPS working again?"

Dr Keene has the same result on the mini-comp.... the onboard computer has a detailed maintenance manual.. plus a simpler "Gremlin" that gives verbal instructions.

He goes outside and tests the signal there. It is a little better, he comes to the conclusion that perhaps it is the trees blocking reception. (The onboard satilite reciever is more sensitive however and can pick up weaker signals...)

Caio shouts down from the roof of the jumpship...

"Hey, is this meant to have vines wrapped around it?" he smiles holding up one end of a severed vine. He takes out his knife and trimms away the obstructing vine.

Clambering up to the roof, Dr Keene sees that the vines have forced the receptor out of alignment and damaged its servos. (The receptor scans/homes into transmitted signals automatically by adjusting its alignment to maximise signal strength).

(OOC: It is possible for the Dr to use the mini-comps GPS, and increase it strength by piggybacking the jumpships recievers. It just needs the reciever to be pointing in the right direction.)

Once the vine has been removed from around the array... the reciever is free to move, although the servos are badly damaged, or the hydrolics are strained. Either way it still needs to be manually adjusted in order to get a decent signal.

"Well, it looks like we've got a choice... break radio silence and do a broad spectrum distress call, or we get this to work manually or we fly out of here..." says Caio.

Susan and Bob look to the others for the decision...

Caio continues... "Well, lets assume that the Gen-diver lot are now aware of what happened back there. They probably put two and two together and know that the only jumpship that flew out of there wasn't theirs... plus they may have had chance to talk to the brothers as well." he stops for a moment.

"Assuming they had something to do with the attack on the base...I'm sure they won't be wanting us to report back anytime soon..."

"Well, it looks like we've got a choice... break radio silence and do a broad spectrum distress call, or we get this to work manually or we fly out of here..." says Caio.

"Flying, where?" Dr. Keene asks. "I mean we don't know where here is, so going anywhere will be a guess, at best, and with a half crippled vessel, I'd rather not risk that. I guess that means we got to get the damn GPS working. So let's get cracking!"

"OK. We have maps. I know [OOC: I hope] which direction we were travelling when we left. Barring being blown seriously off course by that hellstorm, couldn't we at least make some ejicated guesstimations as to where are now?"

(OOC: Yes, All the players have GPS on their personal comp. Trouble is there appears to be a lack of signal strength and the personal computers simply haven't the power to boost the signal recieved. The jumpship has, though it's own reciever is somewhat malfunctioning.

It just takes someone to either manually "twiddle" with the Jump-ships OWN reciever or to get into a better position with a mini-comp (aka up into/above the jungle canopy...back towards the cliff edge.. or try juryrigging a personal comps reciever using power from the jumpship.

All these tasks are about the same complexity about average... either requiring Electronics or Computer or Communications skills... who is going to be brave enough?)

Suzanne, looking the worse for wear, blows a strand of errant red hair from her face, "Okay boys put your collective thinking caps on and solve this technical snafu or we will be baking in this sun until we die of thirst. Tell me what to do and I will do it. Anything beats sitting on this pile of rubbish in the middle of God knows where."

Logged

Madness does not always howl. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "Hey, is there room in your head for one more?"